Wilson e



(No Model.)

W. E. PORTER.

REPEATING ALARM CLOCK.

No. 580,056. Patented Apr.6,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETcE.

'WILSON E. PORTER, OF, NE\V HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEYV HAVEN CLOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

REPEATING ALARM-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,056, dated April 6, 1897'.

Application filed February 17, 1896. Serial No. 579,599. (No model.)

To (I/ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, XV ILSON E. PORTER, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Alarm Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view in front elevation of one form which an alarm-clock containing my improvement may assume; Fig. 2, a view in rear elevation of the movement of the said clock, showing also a rear view of the dial thereof; Fig. 3, a plan view of the clock, the case being shown in horizontal section; Fig. 4, a detail view of one of the modified forms which my improvement may assume, showing the repeating alarm-wheel and repeating alarmlever; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the alarm-spring.

My invention relates to an improvement in alarm-clocks of that class which are known to the trade as repeating alarms, for the reason that after the alarm is let off it repeats at short intervals until shut off, for which purpose the person who would sleep on must rise from his bed.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a repeating alarm-clock having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, I locate a ratchet-like wheel A, which I shall hereinafter call the repeating alarm-wheel, upon the staff B of one of the wheels of the timetrain of the clock. As shown, the staff B carries the third wheel of the time-train; but I do not limit myself to combining the repeating alarm-wheel with any particular wheel of the train. The said repeating alarm-wheel coacts with a repeating alarm-lever O, hung upon the back movement-plateD 011 a screw C, the arm 0 of this lever being constructed at its outer end with a finger c, which is engaged by the teeth of the repeating alarmwheel A, while the arm 0 of the lever, which is a bent arm, is turn ed in ward to form a stopfinger c, coacting with the short secondary stop-wire E, rigidly secured to and extending inward from the escapement-arbor E, carrying the verge Eicoactin g with the escapemcntwheel E of the alarm-train, which may be of any approved construction. A repeating alarm-spring C", mounted in a stud 0 seoured to the back movement-plateD, engages with the arm C of the lever C and exerts a constant effort to cause the said arm to drop oil? the teeth of the repeating alarmwheel A and to cause the linger c of the lever to engage with the secondary stop-wire E. The escapement-arbor E aforesaid is also f nrnished with an upwardly-extending hammerwire E", carrying a hammer E, arranged to strike a bell F, located above the clockcase, as shown in Fig. 1; but, if desired, the bell may be located below the case, or even within the case, calling for a dili'erent location and arrangement of the hammer-wire and hammer. The escapement-arbor is further furnished with a primary stop-wire E, which coacts with alarm-letting-olif mechanism of any approved construction, and, as herein shown, comprising an alarmspring G, having its outer end bent rearward to form a finger G, which engages with the said primary stopwire E. The said spring is moveu laterally inward to bring its said finger G into the path of the said primary stop-wire by means of the longitudinal movement of the alarm-wheel H upon the alarm-set shaft 11, the said wheel being driven from the dial-work of the time mechanism in the usual manner, the said dial-work being located in front of the front movement-plate D. This wheel is provided also in the usual manner with a cam H coacting with a pin H extending transversely through the alarm-set shaft H, which does not normally rotate, but is held against rotation by means of the spring 11*. A button 11", secured to the inner end of the shaft, is provided for rotating it in one direction or the other against the tension of the spring H" for setting the alarm in the usual manner.

Under ordinary conditions the alarm will be kept from sounding by the engagement of the finger G of the alarm-spring G with the primary stop-wire E of the alarm mechanism.

lVhen, however, the rotation of the wheel If by the dial-work of the clock has brought the drop or great step of the cam ll into line with the pin H the alarm-spring G springs forward and disengages its arm G from the stopwire, whereby the alarm-train is released, so far as the primary stop-wire is concerned, and the alarm will now be sounded unless the sec ondary stop-wire E is at this time in engag ment with the stop-finger c of the alarm-lever C. If it happens, however, that at the time the alarm is released from the restraining influence of the primary stop-wire the secondary stop-wire E engaged with the finger c of the arm 0 of the alarm-lever, the sounding of the alarm will be delayed a short time, but only a very short time, inasmuch as the alarm-lever is actuated at frequent intervals through the medium of the repeating alarmwheel A, which is in constant motion. Then when the said wheel moves the lever 0 against the tension of the spring 0 the secondary stop-wire will be released and the alarm will be sounded until the finger O of the alarmlever drops off the point of one of the teeth of the repeating alarm-wheel, when the alarmlever spring 0" will immediately swing the lever so as to carry its finger 0 into the path of the secondary stop wire, whereby the alarm-train will be arrested, but only for the length of time required for the repeatin alarm-wheel to move the alarm-lever against the tension of the alarm-lever spring 0 for a suflicient distance to clear the stop-finger c of the lever from the secondary stop-wire E, permitting the alarm to be sounded again.

It will thus be seen that the alarm will be sounded at frequent regular intervals, which will be separated in time by the length of time required for the teeth of the repeating alarm-wheel to swing the alarm-lever sulficiently to release the alarm-train, and this will go on until the spring of the alarmtrain runs entirely down, unless the person who would sleep gets out of bed and shuts the alarm off by movin the cut-off lever l,whercby the alarm-lever is cut out of engagement with the repeating alarm-wheel and one end of the verge locked into the crown-wheel. This lever, it may be remarked, must be thrown into its retired position before the alarm mechanism can be operated again. The .said lover I is swung by its inner end upon a screw-stud I, mounted in the rear movement-plate and is formed with a segmental slot 1 receiving a stop-pin i which limits the movement of the lever in either direction. It is constructed with a stop-finger l, which engages with the secondary stopwire for locking the verge into the escapement-wheel, as stated. Its outer end is furnished with an operating-finger l bent outwardly and extended through a slot 1, formed in the plate K, closing the back of the case K, as shown in Fig. 8, the projecting outer end of the finger 1 being engaged for throwing the stop-lever in one direction or the other to cutoff the repeating alarm or bringitinto operation.

For cutting the alarm-lever out of engagement with the alarm-wheel A, as stated, the said lever is constructed at its inner end with a nose 1 which engages with the arm 0 of the said lever when the cut-off lever is swung into its cutting-off position, whereby the lever is swung downward against the tension of its spring C so that the finger c of its arm C will be cleared from engagement with the wheel, whereby the wear of the lever and wheel is minimized and drag upon the timemevement prevented during the time when the alarm mechanism is cut out of action.

It will be seen from the foregoing that an alarm-clock constructed in accordance with my invention does not sound a continuous alarm until the alarm-spring is run down or for a long period, but that it sounds an intermittent repeating alarm until cut off by the manual interference of the person using the alarm.

It is apparent that in carrying out my in vention changes from the particular construction shown and described may be made. Thus under the construction shown in Figs. a and 5 of the drawings the alarm-lever J is formed with alifting-arm J", actuated by the repeating alarm-wheel J and with a stop-arm J having a finger J" coacting with a stopfinger J secured to one end of the arbor J, on which the escapement-wheel J 7 of the alarm-train is mounted. In this construction the verge-arbor K carries the hammer-wire K and hammer If? and also the primary stop wire K which coacts with the alarm-spring K}, corresponding to the alarm-spring of ordinary alarm mechanisms. Under this construction, as under the construction before described, the alarm is primarily let off through the medium of the alarm-spring it." and after that intermittentlysounded through the medium of the repeating alarm-wheel J I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described. 1n y invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lotte rs Patent, is-- 1. In a repeating alarm-clock, the combination with the time-train thereof, of an alarmtrain periodically released thereby, an alarmsetting mechanism, an alarnnwhecl connected with the time-train and driven thereby, an. alarm-lever intermittently operated. by the said alarm-wheel and coacting with the alarmtrain to intermittently stop the same, and a manual stop enacting with the alarm-train and with the alarm-lever to cut them both out of action without recourse to the alarm-set ting mechanism.

2. In a repeating alarm-clock, the combination with the time-train thereof, of an alarm- ITO train periodically released thereby, an alarmsetting mechanism, means for interrupting the alarm-train for sounding an intermittent alarm, and a manual stop for shutting off the alarm by stopping the alarm-train without recourse to the alarm mechanism, and consisting of a lever pivotally secured by its inner end to the rear movement-plate, adapted to coact with a member of the alarm-train for blocking the action thereof, and constructed at its outer end to be engaged for manual operation.

3. In a repeating alarm-clock, the combination with the time-train thereof, of an alarmtrain periodically released thereby, an alarmsettingmechanism, an alarm-wheel connected with the time-train and driven thereby, an alarm-lever intermittently operated by the FRED. O. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

